The Clash
by conorp
Summary: A Lepus with an extraordinary power and some others take on a newly-risen tyrant.
1. Destruction of Galoe

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher  
  
Note: This Fanfiction is based on the game, Monster Rancher 2, not the Anime, Monster Rancher.  
  
The cold winds howled fiercely, spreading their wailing cries throughout the Papas Mountains. A white tiger stood there, his large cream- colored mane swaying. His sleek white fur waved in a frenzied torrent of white ripples. He stared out over the rocky cliff. His haunting red- yellow eyes scanned his frozen surroundings. He closed his eyes for a moment and sniffed the air. He was almost invisible in the blinding blizzard. He suddenly smelled her disgustingly foul stench. She was headed south, towards the village of Galoe. He leapt from ledge and cliff, pursuing his enemy.  
  
Lily the Lepus was one of the only monsters in Galoe. And of course she was the only pixie in Galoe. She absentmindedly stroked her long brown ears and raked her clawed hands through her long, auburn hair. Lily stared at the small children at the other end of the playing grounds. She slowly fluttered over there. She was playing tag with three small children.  
  
A small brown leaf fell on Lily from the Galoe tree. A brisk autumn breeze rustled the tree and more crimson leaves fell onto the green field. Slowly, the breeze subsided. The children however, jerked their heads up as their mother called them inside. The long warm Galoe summer had slowly changed to the frigid mountain autumn. The brightly colored wildflowers had changed to dark green drab plants. The apples in Galoe Valley had ripened and now only the pines and spruces proudly showed their greenish hues. The Papas Mountains changed from their mild brown granite to the white of snow recently fallen. Small thin clouds that used to slowly drift by in the blue summer sky now rushed through the world above. Dark gray clouds slowly trekked over the cold mountain range. Summer had ended and now the autumn had come.  
  
Lily opened her broad wings and glided to the general store. Being a monster, Lily had no home. She would sometimes take care of the children, while at other times, she would help at the general store. She also stayed at the general store every night. Once again, Lily entered the cozy wooden store. The sweet aroma of pine swirled around her as she entered. To her left were many items used in the training of monsters. There were harnesses, toys, treats, carts, and a horrible item, a whip. However, Lily knew that a whip had to be used against wild monsters and some that were very disobedient. She saw the counter where Mr. Hawns, the shopkeeper was, was talking to a customer. Behind the kindly old gentleman were rows upon rows of shelves. Many held herbs, spices, and medicines. There were also preserves, and boxes full of crackers and biscuits. There were small kegs of a variety of juices and ales. On top of his desk were small glass jars containing many kinds of candies. There were small lollipops and peppermint sticks. There were small leaves coated with sugars and syrups. Small caramels and chocolate bars were lined up neatly on the front of the desk. In the back right were crates full of a variety of meats. There were some tropical fruits and vegetables imported from Torble. There were dried fruits and many apples from this year's harvest. There were some swords and shields in the back, along with some bows and pikes. In the back of the general store was a small green chair and to the right of it was a small oak door. Behind it was Mr. Hawns' room. Off to the right on the right wall was Lily's room.  
  
Lily's room was also made of the sweet-smelling pine that made up the general store. Lily had a small feathery bed with a feather pillow. Almost everything in Lily's room was bought by Lily's hard-earned money. She had a small nightstand with small little stuffed figures. There was a small hare, a blue tiger, and a white tiger. She also owned a porcelain gali. She had a small hand-carved chair and a writing desk with a small bookshelf beside it. She owned two novels and a biography of a great monster breeder. She had a window with quaint little lacy curtains. A fluffy red carpet covered the floor.  
  
Lily flopped down on her bed. She stared out of her window at the crimson trees swaying in the breeze. The dark gray clouds slowly came nearer, descending from the Papas Mountains. Lily felt a chill go through her, not because of the weather, but because of something else. Lily didn't know what, but she didn't like it. The winds began picking up. The storm had arrived.  
  
It would bring a blizzard to the many valleys of the Papas Mountains. As the storm headed south it would subside to cold rain in the Torble area. But for now, the storm was in Galoe and it hit hard. The winds picked up and snow started falling. The brief autumn had passed and the cold mountain winter had started. There was no autumn, only summer, a small time in between, and then winter.  
  
There was a low, humming whine. Lily knew that noise as the Henger that protected Galoe. Lily flew out of the store into the blinding white snowstorm. Fierce, biting winds froze her to the bone. Typically, pixies are tropical monsters, but Lily was no stranger to the mountain weather. She flew to the plaza, where the noise was coming from. When she arrived, she saw the Henger pushing against something. It was a Daina, or a pixie dragon cross. She was easily holding the Henger back, using only one hand against the gigantic robot.  
  
Lily charged in. She had only a minimal amount of techniques, but she had ray, kiss, pat, kick, and slap. Lily used her slap attack. She swung her hand at the Daina. All the evil pixie did was flinch. Then she turned and yelled, "Mega Ray!"  
  
A huge bright beam burned through the air, followed by several, lesser beams. Lily dodged the main beam, but two of the other beams hit her. She collapsed on the ground. The Daina was laughing as Lily's vision blurred, and she passed out.  
  
The white tiger leapt from ledge to ledge. Soon he saw the village of Galoe. A small Lepus was there. There were some men with weapons and a Henger. There was also a Kato blowing some fire at the Daina. The tiger knew it. The Daina had gone this way. Quickly, the tiger jumped downward into the village. He tackled the Daina, jumped back, let out a frosty blizzard from his mouth. Then he let lightning fly from his horns and he didn't let up.  
  
The Daina was taken by surprise from the tiger's surprise attack. She blasted a feeble flame, which the tiger easily dodged. The Daina began shocking the nearby air. Bolts flew everywhere in a series of explosions. Men fell down, as did the Henger, who received the heaviest of the blows. The white tiger however, easily leapt back and forth, dodging the attack. Then he launched an ice bomb. It collided with the Daina, who flew up and through the frozen cold.  
  
The tiger ran after her. His long, loping strides kept up with her easily. The wind kept pushing the Daina back. She kept on flying and she flew over a ravine. The white tiger stared down the rocky depths. He saw the frozen river surrounded by jagged shards of granite. The tiger took a step back and leapt. He saw the edge of the ravine coming nearer, when lightning hit him from the Daina. The tiger plummeted into the frozen ravine.  
  
Lily slowly came to. She felt dizzy and her chest hurt. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Light entered her eyes in a painful flash. Her head throbbed like it had been used as a blacksmith's anvil. One of her ears was crumpled and singed. The Daina's attack had really taken it out of her. The Lepus sat up, despite the pain. She looked around. She was outside in a horrible blizzard. Men were everywhere, dead or unconscious; Lily did not know. Houses were on fire and in the middle of it was the Daina, laughing. Lily felt anger build up inside her. She yelled, "Inferno!" and blasted a massive fireball. It struck the Daina. Lily had never used such a powerful attack. She didn't even know it was an attack. But it was, and it had hit the Daina.  
  
The Daina had turned slowly around. She sneered, "So if you want to fight, I'll make you wish you hadn't attacked me." She then let a bolt of lightning fly from her hand. It sizzled through the air, making a wicked design that melted and boiled all the snow that touched it.  
  
It struck Lily head on, taking all of Lily's energy. The Daina blasted again, and again. Then she let a small thunderbolt come out of her hands. It solidified. The Daina threw it at Lily. But it was cut in half! The Henger used a laser sword and cut it in half. The Daina turned to face the robot.  
  
"Die," she said with fury. A huge bolt struck the Henger. It convulsed in erratic jerks. The green sensor on its head began to dim. The metal coat on it was smoking. The brown armor on its machinery slowly faded from a smoky gray to a dark black. Sparks flew from its joints, sending steam up from the frosty snow around it. The Henger made a whirring noise and metal began falling off, exposing smoking machinery beneath. The circuits composing its complex system began popping and exploding sending off black puffs of smoke.  
  
The Daina let out a cold, contented sigh. "It always feels good destroying my opponents," she laughed.  
  
Tears openly flowed down Lily's cheeks. The Galoe village she had loved so dearly was now smoking in a fiery ruin. The Henger that had befriended her and defended the town with all its heart was destroyed. Families Lily knew, dead. People she had met, gone. Every building Lily helped build, decimated. She stood up, breathing heavily, her shoulders slumped. Slowly a fire built in Lily's hand, the heat radiating from her. She screamed, "Die, Daina! Feel the flame of revenge!"  
  
The Daina dodged the beam of flame and blasted a large thunderbolt at Lily. Lily fell in a heap, her attack thwarted. The Daina laughed and flew off saying, "So much satisfaction killing anyone who stands up to me."  
  
The Torble area was in chaos. A large storm, none like the citizens had ever seen, was heading straight toward Torble. Lightning flashed in jerky arcs and jagged forks, lighting up the evening sky over the beaches. Large black masses of clouds scoured the heavens above sending pouring sheets of rain down, then stopping and moving to another area. Rain would go to sleet to snow and then melt suddenly, as the clouds cleared, leaving the setting sun to melt it. Down in the tropical reaches of Torble, it was snowing; while in the northern provinces of Galoe, and New Kawrea were receiving rain. Floods would occur and then recede in a matter of minutes. The Torble area was a mess.  
  
The Daina laughed. Lightning struck in a frenzy around her. Snow howled around her, while thunder boomed overhead. "Feel my power, and tremble!" the Daina screamed in delight.  
  
She swooped around, modeling the weather to her own whims, striking houses with lightning and dousing the fires with rain. She tossed houses around with wind and annihilated them with freezing ice. Flames flew from her palms, wreaking havoc on all things flammable. She flew around lightning, dodged blizzards, and evaded rain. She watched the bustling provinces of Torble, New Kawrea, Galoe, Sestrom, and Torblean Fields, all become chaotic mudpits. "I'm having so much fun!" she laughed.  
  
Lily cautiously opened one eye. The Daina was gone. Lily could not take another beating like that. Her whole body throbbed from ears to claws. Her body felt battered and beaten. One ear hung crooked and one arm was seared and oozing blood slowly onto the fresh white snow changing it into a bright crimson. Lily rolled herself over, too weak to get up. She saw dark clouds slithering away to the south towards the Torble and Sestrom provinces. Soon only white drifts lay in the sky. The snow around Lily was not too thick, being melted by the houses that burned due to the Daina's treachery. Lily began inching herself toward the Galoe Tree. It seemed like an eternity, Lily pushing herself with the little energy she had left. She stopped at the base of the tree. Slowly, she pushed herself up until she was resting on the trunk of the tree. She was exhausted and fell asleep immediately.  
  
The wind howled fiercely in the ravine. Snow was sent up in shimmering icy sparkles. It swirled around outcropping rocks and stunted trees. The blowing snow formed a dazzling mini-blizzard that rushed along the ravine and out into the open. Snow fell in large heaps off small ledges breaking apart at the bottom. The flakes spiraled up in a dazzling myriad of crystals and began the journey out of the ravine. The dark clouds that once dropped snow overhead were heading towards Torble, probably to become rain and wet down the beaches as a cold drizzle. A bush shook, discharging some more shining adventurers.  
  
The white tiger slowly got up from the bush. Snow stuck to him in freezing cold clumps, but he did not even notice. He stared at the crystals dancing upon the jagged boulders along the edge of the rock. He searched the air for the Daina's foul stench. He found wisps of it, but the wind had torn it up and strewn it all over the south part of Galoe. It would be impossible to track the traitor. She was too arrogant for her own good. If she thought she could get rid of one such as him so easily, she was mistaken. He immediately set off for Torblean Fields. He followed the ravine south, to the fertile fields of Sestrom.  
  
He wound around the rocks, following an old, faded trail. He saw a bridge pass overhead. It was apparently Golem work, with large boulders supporting the bridge. A small stream trickled merrily beside him, but the tiger ignored it. His white horns sparked with electricity. He had been stupid to follow her! If he had waited in Galoe, she would have come back and he would have had her. His mane bristled in irritation, and a growl rumbled in his throat. He thought about what attacks he could have used. Maybe if he had used the recently discovered Mystic Ice, he could have frozen her solid. But she could have thawed it with a flame. He could have used the Bolt or Shock and zapped her. Maybe a nice solid Tackle, or maybe a Combination would have put her down.  
  
Lily's body ached from the exertion of hauling herself to a tree, and from the irregular shape of the tree. She groaned out loud, her singed ear twitching in pain. Her left wing, damaged from the fall, fell at an irregular angle, dangling uselessly at her side. Her claws feebly scraped bark, trying to smooth out the tree. She looked at her claws. They were black and covered in ashes. She was leaning against a dead tree, charred by the evil Daina and her foul flames. Lily noticed the moon hanging silvery, covered by a thin veil of clouds and mist. The stars did not twinkle brightly in the cold, dark night. Lily shivered. The tree offered little protection from weather or from wild monsters. Lily heard that a full-grown Baku had been taken down by a pack of 3 Datons, only three wild monsters. She also knew that Galoan nights had harsh temperature drops, sometimes reaching temperatures colder than Papas did! Storms would appear suddenly and strand travelers heading to Colart, Torles, or Papasopolis.  
  
The night here could freeze her during the night. She would not feel it, or know about it until she had reached the Great Disc Stone, where all monsters go after death. Of course Lily felt like she was cheating herself. After all this hard work and persistence, then giving up and dying even when she had energy left. No, Lily could not do that. She painfully struggled to get up. Her arms felt like they were made out of lead, her head wanting to fall back against the tree and sleep. Lily shook her head. She would not give in. She searched vainly for any dwelling, anything better than a tree. The entire Galoe village, destroyed. Lily's arm sent up a shockwave of pain, nearly making Lily fall over. She had to find shelter before her body fell apart. She could barely stand, but she began trudging toward a small building not burnt. It was out of the village, but it was not even charred. Lily drug her battered body, each step forced, toward the small hut. It was abandoned by a family two and a half years ago, when they left for the warmer tropics of Torble. There was some dishes and furniture, both Sestrom make, not very good. There was a small straw pallet in the corner, with a tattered rag of a blanket. Lily gratefully curled up on the pallet laying her head down on a grass pillow. She wrapped the blanket about her. Lily lay awake far into the night, thinking about what had happened. She could barely bear the thought that her village had been decimated, loved ones deceased, and everything she had worked for was gone. Lily cursed the Daina with every curse she knew and began relishing thoughts of defeating the Daina. Although the thoughts were improbable, they satisfied her.  
  
The wind began to slowly pick up in intensity as it awoke Lily from her slumber. The wind found a hole or holes in the house and slowly forced out all the warmth. Lily stirred and pushed her injured body in an upright position. Tree rattled menacingly as the wind whipped their limbs around in a frenzy. Lily painfully stood and took some old firewood outside and threw it in the stove. It wouldn't last all night, but it would create more warmth. After starting the fire with a small Flame, Lily curled up and dozed as the harsh winter winds terrorized the Galoe region.  
  
Lily awoke with a start. The house creaked and groaned, as it held up against the wind. Snows buffeted the outside and were drifting up. The wind shrieked through the trees as it whipped the snow in a blizzard-like frenzy. A loud crash echoed among the trees. Lily fully came upright. She felt sweat break out on her face. With a crunching noise, the roof collapsed in the next room. Slowly snow began blowing into Lily's room. She knew she had to leave, but her body ached and throbbed. Slowly she pulled herself up. But that was all she could take. She wanted to scream, to let it all go, she could just use on flame, and it would all be over, but she knew she couldn't. She agonizingly pulled herself up. The straw pricked her elbows as she got up. That alone took away her breath. Panting, she pushed up, pulling with her wings and exerting her legs to their full potential. Finally, her body's weight relented and she came up. Lily's singed wing sent waves of pain down Lily's back. She slowly trudged toward the door, stumbling twice.  
  
A cold wave of icy wind blasted Lily full in the face. Her wings ballooned out against her will, sending pain up the injured wing. She staggered backward and the wind picked her up, into the air. She went soaring backward, being buffeted against the trees as she soared up. It all ended when she soared up above the trees. Then it was totally different there. Crisscrossing winds swung her around violently, as if she were a toy. Vainly, she tried to fold her wings, but they flapped around in the violent winds. Lily knew that her wings could not stand up to the winds for long. If this lasted longer, she would soon be lacking wings. So Lily spread her wings and chose a direction. She could not tell the direction for the snow around her, but she struggled that way, trying to ignore the pain in her wings. She struggled in that direction. Snow whipped around her in a blizzarding frenzy. Normally, Lily would be in the General Store, snug by the fireplace. She would have watched the snow dance through the village streets, but she was out here braving the weather. She didn't know if it was day or night. She didn't care. Lily struggled against the gale, until she could not go further. She let go, closed her eyes. She felt the wind take over, tossing her again, but her energy gone, spirit broken, she let go. 


	2. Shalegrinder's Village

1 Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher  
  
Note: This Fanfiction is based on the game, Monster Rancher 2, not the Anime, Monster Rancher.  
  
The small Hare shuddered. Her brown fur was covered in snow. She lived in Shalegrinder's Village, in the northern regions of the Galoe Province. Half a day ago, a Daina came and attacked, destroying some of the houses, but she left south towards the capital, Galoe. The young hare's name was Sharon. She had lost her small hut, as had many people. Some lucky people had kept their huts, but in some areas buildings were smoldering in a fiery ruin. It was dawn, but the storms had not stopped. The winds were whipping around pieces of wood. Sharon got up from the small blanket she had shivered under all night. Just as she got up, a Lepus fell in front of her. One of her wings was burnt badly. The other one looked as if it had been used as a tug of war. One arm looked in about as bad as shape as both the wings. And an ear hung crooked. The Lepus looked like she had been tossed around for a good part of the night. She must have been dead.  
  
Sharon flipped her over. The Lepus' face was pale except for a bruise darkening her cheek. Her body was scratched and battered. Sharon felt sorry for the Lepus. Sharon took pride in her ears, and if a Lepus was like her, then she would be mad about her ears. Thinking about her ears made Sharon shake them. Frost came off the ears, sprinkling down in a small snowshower.  
  
The Lepus stirred. Her eyes opened. The first thing she saw was Sharon's face. She shrieked "Daina!" and her hand blasted a flame. Sharon barely dodged the flame. Then the Lepus let lightning bolts fly from her hand. Sharon jumped, dodged the first bolt, and then was struck by the second. Then a third hit her, a fourth, and finally Sharon dodged and fled the fifth. The Lepus rose up and soared after Sharon. Sharon ducked under the burnt remains of a hut, and jumped into a tree. The Lepus glided underneath the tree. Sharon leapt over her, as lightning bolts flew over her head. The Lepus dived and attacked. Sharon nimbly sidestepped and jumped up onto a house. She rolled and plummeted, only to gracefully land on her feet. She took off running. Snow flew up in a large white cloud. The Lepus came up and over the building. She rushed through the snow straight after Sharon.  
  
The Lepus had a fierce determination in her eyes. The Lepus' eyes bored straight through Sharon. Her bruised and battered wings still seemed to work better than Sharon would have ever thought. Sharon bounded through a crowd, bouncing onto a canopy. She landed on a hut and leapt off. The Lepus kept up with surprising agility. She swooped in, driving Sharon into a drift. The Lepus screamed, "I know you work for the Daina!" a deranged look was in her eyes, replacing that determination. "I'll kill you! Kill you! Kill you! Kill you!"  
  
Lily fiercely slapped the hare, fiercely attacking. The hare yelled, "Smash!" The hare's fist slammed straight into Lily's stomach. She felt pain run up and down her torso. She screamed. The hare said, "I'm sorry. I'm not one of the Daina's servants. She attacked our town and. Lily slammed her fist as hard as she could into the hare, yelling, "Smash!" Lily saw the shock on the hare's face. She thinks that a pixie can't learn "Smash," Lily thought to herself. "Use another attack, I'll use it too!" Lily laughed. I'll get that Daina!  
  
The White Tiger came out into the plains of Galoe. Volcanoes were erupting, while snow was falling. Geysers burst out of the ground, and then the ground sealed itself. The rains flooded certain areas, and then the sun came out and dried it up. The tiger didn't even heed this, running right buy a fire burning in a snowdrift. Winds tore at his fur. Rain drenched the White Tiger. Snow fell and the sun made him pant. He stared at the clouds swirling and disappearing. He slowed to a trot, and finally stood still. The winds tore at his mane, fur and tail. He stared hard, then saw a small dot, sailing in the clouds and lightning. Right in that area, black clouds massed and sent lightning striking in numerous locations.  
  
The tiger began running, leaping toward the sky. He quickly hit the middle of the horrible storm. The White Tiger blasted bolts, ice, and thunder at the Daina. She looked down, vaguely interested. Her eyes widened in horrible realization of who it was. She began hurling lightning in an electric fury. The White Tiger nimbly leapt to the side. He jumped, slamming into the Daina. She screamed. The Tiger did a back flip while falling, to avoid the fireball that blazed beside him. It struck the ground, searing the grass instantly. She dived to try a one-two punch. That was a big mistake. The Tiger performed a devastating Combination. It sent the Daina flying straight into the nearest hill. Dust exploded everywhere. The Daina flew out.  
  
"I am far more superior, I will defeat you!" the Daina shrieked. She blasted lighting at the Tiger. He dodged. Then the White Tiger saw something out of the corner of his eye. A large Golem smashed into his side. The Golem charged again. The tiger went bouncing across the ground. The Daina rushed in, punching in a fury.  
  
"I told you I would win," the Daina laughed. "But did I forget to mention my henchmen would help me too?"  
  
The tiger blacked out.  
  
Lily continued her apologizing. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. Are you sure I shouldn't heal you?" Lily winced. She felt in need of a good healing herself. The small hare kept assuring her that it was okay and that she wasn't hurt that badly. Lily massaged her ear again. It was still quite tender. She learned that she was in Shalegrinder's Village, in Northern Galoe. She could not believe the wind took her that far! Shalegrinder's Village was just south of Papas, perhaps even in Papas! Lily stood up shakily. Her wing still sent waves of pain up and down her back. Her arm was sore, as sore as her ears. Lily apologized again. The hare told Lily her name, and then just shrugged off the apology.  
  
"Listen up, little Miss Lepus," Sharon said. "I'm not hurt that badly, it's you that needs a little fixin' up. I should go get the healer. In fact, I will, I'll be back in a few minutes." She went running.  
  
Lily sat there in the snow. She remembered one thing. Using a smash attack. Pixies did not learn that technique, yet Lily had used it. Maybe something was wrong with her. She remembered seeing a dragon at a tournament use Inferno. Maybe she could use any technique she saw. But that would mean she could use.  
  
"Megaray!" she cried, jumping into the air. The main beam fired out of her extended palms and several lesser beams followed it. They burned through the snow. A hunched villager turned and fled. Lily put her hands over her mouth in shock. She hadn't meant to scare anybody.  
  
Sharon returned with a withered, old plant monster. It said, "So, another youth needs a healin'." His flowers began to secrete nectar that slowly fell into a small bowl. The nectar glowed. It was sweet, the aroma alone made Lily feel good. She inhaled deeply, feeling the scent stimulate her. The plant tore off a little bit of its leaf and tossed it into the nectar. The leaf had a sharp, spicy scent. It made Lily's nose burn, but it seemed to emanate warmth and heat. The plant began stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, around and around. A steam began to come off of the bowl. The nectar shined with a glow that made Lily's mouth water. The plant told her to take all of the mixture, every last drop. Lily did not need any further urging.  
  
"The medicines in Galoe tasted horrible," Lily said, licking a drop off her lower lip.  
  
"You came from Galoe?" Sharon asked, disbelieving for some reason. "Everyone said that all of Galoe's inhabitants died."  
  
Lily began to cry. She had hoped that some people had survived, but apparently they had not. She had hoped for it so much, but somewhere inside she knew that she was wrong. "I know," She said quietly.  
  
Sharon came over and said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She patted Lily's shoulder.  
  
Lily already was feeling better. Her wounds didn't ache at all now. Her wing already seemed to feel better. She flexed it. It felt wonderful. Lily's arm was already feeling good. Lily slowly flew up and began to fly lazy circles above the snow. A cold north wind began to blow. Wisps of snow curled up shooting into the air. Clouds scudded across the sky. Another storm was coming. Dark clouds were already building up over Papas, ready to descend on Galoe. People began to take shelter. Light flakes began to fall. Lily looked up. It brought back memories of Galoe. The silently descending flakes became a quickly falling shower. Snowflakes drifted down around Lily.  
  
"We better go inside," Sharon said, tugging Lily's arm. Lily didn't pay attention. She stared up at the sky, at the snow whirling around and around. She reached up, the wind tugging at her wings, and grabbed. She felt as if she could hold the world, destroy the Daina, bring back Galoe. She leapt about trying to grab the snowflakes. It was a childish game they played in Galoe, trying to grab snowflakes. It was futile of course, since the flakes always melted when you grabbed them. Lily stopped. Her bliss slipped away, replaced by that burdening grief again.  
  
"Let's go," she said.  
  
Sharon and Lily walked up to a cabin hopefully able to get some shelter for the night.  
  
The white tiger painfully stood up. There was no possible way to beat the Daina. She was too agile, magical, and too evil. His glossy white coat was now stained with blood and dirt. His fur had gone to a dusty gray that was clumped together. The fur that rippled in the wind now painfully pulled at his bruised skin when the wind gusted.  
  
The snow that he had come upon had totally melted. The area had resumed where it left off, except for the occasional rumble of the earth. Dark clouds flew across the ocean to the south while the next snowstorm prepared to dump on Papas. and Galoe. A failure. The tiger howled in fury. Innocents had died due to his incompetence.  
  
The tiger howled in fury and rage. He took a step forward. His leg skipped due to a limp. He winced. He began to slowly trudge south. He had to stop the Daina, at all costs. He felt his leg skip again. He limped across the plain. He had to go south, stop the Daina. Go south, stop the Daina. Go south, stop the Daina.  
  
It seemed like hours, yet the sun had barely moved along in its journey from horizon to horizon. The sun came down in bright beams, enhancing the humidity of the Parepare Jungle was. He crept farther along, the cool mountain air changing to the sweltering humid heat. The tiger's limp began to increase, each step a step of pure determination, each stumble a chipping of that determination. Finally, coming to the edge of the forest, The tiger knelt down. He would rest here, only for a little while.  
  
Sharon and Lily were half frozen when they finally found a cabin. The couple, the Ferlings, were an elderly couple much like the Hawns. Lily was touched by their kindness. Sharon knew the Ferlings too. They seemed to be quite friendly toward each other. Lily, Sharon and the Ferlings had a splendid dinner that night.  
  
There was part of a roast pig from Parepare, and it was covered with a delicious spicy gravy. There were mashed potatoes with the same gravy. There were some apples from Papas with Colart Tea served as the beverage. Peppers from Mandy were served with corn grown in Torble. Mandy Cakes, a lightly spiced non-baked cake, was served for desert. Lily enjoyed the meal, although the apples reminded her of Galoe. Her wings were beginning to ache since the medicine had lost its numbing qualities some time ago.  
  
Mrs. Ferling led Lily to her room. It was in the attic of the small house. There was a small rag of carpet next to the bed, apparently where she would pray for the night. Lily did not have her monster statuettes to pray to, but Sharon let her borrow one. It was a Lepus! Lily gingerly placed it on the small table next to the straw pallet she was to sleep on. Mrs. Ferling left after Lily assured her that she was fine up here.  
  
Lily knelt on the carpeting, and placed her hands together reverently. She bowed her head and began to pray to the Lepus statuette. She prayed for the Daina's downfall, and Galoe. She prayed for her new friends, Sharon and the Ferlings. She also prayed for her own health and safety. By the time she finally had finished, the threatening snowstorm had hit. Winds gusted outside, and occasionally a large gust sent a draft inside. Lily jumped into bed willingly and went to sleep almost immediately.  
  
Lily awoke with a start. She felt the happiest she had in some time. Her wing flexed and relaxed. She stood up, humming as she went down the stairs. Mr. Ferling was downstairs, fixing some pancakes. He flipped the cake and it landed perfectly in the pan. Lily stared as Mr. Ferling flipped another one with his spatula. It did three entire flips and landed in. Mr. Ferling had to have four pancakes cooking at once! He flipped another one, and slid another onto a plate. He held up a pan to catch the one he tossed while pouring the batter on the pan he just cleared.  
  
When Sharon came in, she saw Lily staring mesmerized as she stared at the flipping pancakes. Sharon burst out laughing. Mr. Ferling turned, catching the pancake behind him.  
  
"I didn't know I had an audience," he chuckled. "Came in so quiet, thought nobody else was up." He went back to flipping his pancakes.  
  
"He's the champion of making pancakes here," Sharon said.  
  
"He's good," Lily said. "Mr. Hawns could only manage three, if he's lucky."  
  
"Mr. Ferling managed six at a carnival once," said Sharon.  
  
Lily felt her jaw drop. Her eyes must have been bulging, because Sharon laughed again.  
  
"He says it's all in the wrist, the flip, and the catch," Sharon turned to watch again.  
  
Soon, there were two plates with a pile of pancakes on each. Mrs. Ferling, who was up by now, served them to the table. She reached into a small cabinet full of ice and pulled out a small jar labeled Papas Maple Syrup. After pouring a generous helping of syrup and adding butter to each stack, Mrs. Ferling passed down Lily and Sharon a dish.  
  
Lily stared. She couldn't eat all of these! She would just eat until she felt full, then ask to be excused. She cut into the first cake, speared it with her fork, swirled it in the syrup and popped it into her mouth. It was by far the most delicious pancake she had ever eaten. She had soon finished her first pancake, her second, and third. Moving on to her fourth, she realized she hadn't eaten anything except the breakfast before the Daina came. She was hungry! It was sooner than she thought that she finished her meal. She scooped the last little bits onto her fork and popped it into her mouth. Lily rubbed her mouth with her napkins and asked to be excused.  
  
Lily stood up and put her dish by the small wash cabinet. She went up to the little small straw pallet. She knelt and said her Morning Prayer to the Lepus statuette. Lily picked up the Lepus and found Sharon in her room. She had a least a dozen Hare statuettes, Blue Hares, Evil Hares, Scaled Hares, Prince Hares; she had to have every kind of Hare statuette!  
  
Sharon was praying for a few more minutes. Then she stood up. Lily handed Sharon the statuette. Sharon accepted it and put it on the small stand.  
  
"Well, it looks like you found a new home," said Sharon.  
  
Lily felt a jolt of surprise. "I'm not staying. I must go on and kill the Daina! I will not rest until she is dead!"  
  
Sharon stared at Lily. "You must be nuts! Nobody could take on that Daina! Nobody!"  
  
"I can. I have an ability no other monster has. I can learn any technique I see," Lily said.  
  
"That's how you learned Smash!" Sharon said. "Well I lost my home to the Daina. I have nowhere to go. Might as well go with you."  
  
Lily smiled. Now the journey wouldn't be near as lonely.  
  
Around Noon, Lily and Sharon told the Ferlings what they were going to do. Mrs. Ferling informed them that Mr. Ferling was going south to Faro in Parepare. There, they could part ways. Lily was overwhelmed with this new show of kindness and spent the rest of lunch thanking them. "We leave tomorrow early, so get to bed early," Mr. Ferling said.  
  
Lily felt something pushing her shoulder. The feeling grew greater and greater until her eyes snapped open. She gathered fire in her hand until she realized it was only Sharon waking her up. Lily rubbed her eyes and stood up. She used the gathering flames to light the way. She held it above her palm. Sharon had already packed her belongings and Lily had none, so they were apparently ready to go.  
  
After a little while that it took to load the Colart tea leaves that Mr. Ferling was selling, Sharon and Lily climbed in the back of the cart. The Baku in the front let out a rumbling woof and began to plod forward.  
  
"Well," Sharon said. "It looks like our journey has finally started."  
  
"I hope it ends just as happily," Lily said. 


	3. North Torble

1 Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher  
  
Note: This Fanfiction is based on the game, Monster Rancher 2, not the Anime, Monster Rancher.  
  
Matthew Neil was not a happy man. His recent shipments of goods from Papas had mysteriously turned up missing. It wasn't abnormal to lose a shipment in the harsh winter storms of Papas, especially coming from the High Peaks, around Torles. But losing them all at once was another matter. Already, five, maybe six valuable shipments had vanished. Anything from Tiger furs to Mew claws, and of course Strong Glue. All being sold to the poor, ignorant breeders from FIMBA for outrageous prices. So what if it was illegal, Neil didn't care; it was merely a slight disadvantage to his business.  
  
Neil was aware of the fluctuating weather in North Torble and Parepare. Of course, South Torble was normal. Maybe the same strange weather phenomenon had befallen Papas. He had heard all kinds of rumors about the weather. Some said that it was the end of the world, others claimed that it was the monsters of old, having their revenge, while others claimed it was being caused by one monster: a Daina.  
  
Neil had always like Pixies. They had to be his favorite monster, not good for hard labor, such as moving goods, or pulling carts, but they kept him… amused. He grinned, in spite of himself. He had always wanted a Daina, but the prices were outrageous, due to their Dragon blood. He had every other kind of Pixie: Vanity, Mint, Lepus, Kitten, even a Kasumi. He had such a large collection of Pixies, and he loved every single one of him. But now he had a new feast to sample. It had cost a bundle, but Torbleans always overcharged. Neil was about to see what was so great about the Undine. He had heard of their unequalled dance and song.  
  
He ducked into his cart, which was more like an oversized house on wheels. It took eight Bakus to pull it, quite a rarity too. He passed through his small antechamber, he hardly noticed the dozen mailed soldiers on each side, and arrived in his main room. He went to the front of the room, and sat down in the large gilded chair, another small fortune. Of course, whatever Neil wanted, he bought. Facing him, on the other side of his lavish bedroom was a stage, made out of only Mock Wood, illegal, but the finest and sturdiest wood in the world.  
  
A scantily dressed Mint came in, bearing a tray. She put it on a small rail. The tray had a whole array of food delicately placed on the tray. Anything Neil would have asked for was there: A whole chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, Galoan apples, probably a delicacy due to the villages untimely destruction. Neil turned his leering gaze upon the Mint. She had come from Colart, in a small nobody breeder's house. It only took a little bit of gold for the Mint. A good trade, Neil judged. He had only one Mint, due to the uncommon rate at which a Mint was produced, either in the wild, or with genetic combining inside the lab.  
  
"Sit down," Neil said. The Mint obediently obeyed, because if she didn't, he would have to get out the whip. All of his Pixies feared his whip. "Good, now we can see what these Undines can do."  
  
As the clock on the head of his bed struck eleven at night, two Granities (or is it Granitys?) came in. Each held a struggling water goddess, the Undine. When one on the right, who had sharp green eyes saw Neil's gaze, she trembled. Neil didn't even bother to hide his hungry gaze. First, he wanted to see them dance and sing. Some called their voices a "Siren's Song". Neil didn't put faith in what others said. That's what the small stage was for. His Pixies would entertain him from there.  
  
"You know your parts, now set to it!" Neil barked out.  
  
The Undine on the left had flashing red eyes. She stuck out her dainty azure tongue. The Granity behind her cuffed the Undine.  
  
"No, let her show her displeasure. I'll just have more fun breaking her," Neil couldn't help grin. Staring at the tray on the rail beside him, he chose a chicken leg. With a tug it came off. He viciously bit into it, juice running down his chin. He slowly chewed as the two Undines climbed up on top of the stage. Already his pulse quickened in anticipation. And then, it began.  
  
With an inhuman grace, the Undines began to sway. They circled each other their arms held up. Slowly, they began to float. Water droplets trailed off and glinted as they fell in spirals. The Granities were quite impressed, by the widening of their eyes. The soldiers in the antechamber had looked in, and couldn't take their gaze away. Neil just yawned, and finished chewing his chicken. He gestured idly toward his grapes. The Mint obediently stood up, grabbing some grapes off the platter. She began to feed him, as he watched the Undines. It was completely and utterly… boring.  
  
He took a grape from the Mint's hand. He tossed it at the Undine. She turned glaring with her green eyes. He just grinned maliciously keeping his eyes in a constant stare. The Undine seemingly ignored him and continues dancing. Neil just shrugged and turned his gaze on the Mint. She grinned at him, mischievously. Yes, she was a very good trade.  
  
He turned his beady eyes back to the Undines. They now were lying out horizontally, laying on their stomachs in midair. They rotated in a circle, Water seemed to flow in a torrent, but it left no sign of dampness on any of the surfaces. They began to spin, and swing around in an odd sort of sphere. Water began to linger in the air, forming different colored circles. That's when the Undines began to sing.  
  
It was a beautiful song. Its notes lingered on the air, making all the droplets vibrate. Each drop began to hum with their own melody. Finally, Neil was interested.  
  
He leaned forward, his Mint forgotten. His Granities smiled. The Undines sang and sang, their dance growing swifter and more exotic. It made Neil swallow. He wanted to scream in anxiety. It was so exciting, he needed to see what was next, but what was happening in the meantime was beautiful as well. Neil could hardly move, he was rooted in place with anticipation. And then the dance stopped.  
  
His shoulders slumped in disappointment and longing. Then he turned in anger. The Undines hadn't finished dancing. It was a soldier who had put an abrupt halt to the dance. His face was flushed and his breathing was heavy.  
  
"Matthew, we have a slight problem. It seems that we are being attacked by a Daina." He grinned. "The only one not in your collection."  
  
Neil had never had his quarry come to him. It seemed the day was better than he thought. "Show me to her," he replied.  
  
"As you wish," the soldier said.  
  
"So what's your name?" Neil asked as he followed.  
  
"Dayle," the soldier replied, briskly.  
  
The two came to the east side of the camp. Dayle drew his sword with a muttered curse. All around was charred devastation. A few soldiers stood in small clusters their swords held out. Neil suddenly felt very unsure of this. A loud rumbling noise made Neil turn around. A large Baku fell, blood spilling out beneath it. Neil fidgeted uncomfortably. He could hardly believe his men-at-arms could not handle one Pixie. However, this time seemed different. He suddenly wished he was back in his cart.  
  
The wind picked up lashing at his robes creeping in and freezing him to the bone. A cart exploded, sending furs everywhere. No Pixie was at the point of destruction. Neil felt sweat breaking out, even though it was nowhere near hot. A mercenary suddenly yelled out. He fell over, minus his head. Neil could feel vomit rising up in his throat. He began to spin around holding his arms over his head.  
  
"What's wrong Matthew? Pixies scare you now? Not so strong when we fight back?" a warm, female voice said. "Or are you just a coward?" the voice came in a cold lash. "You see, we Pixies don't like how you have been treating us. Allow me to show what we mean."  
  
Neil whimpered and fell down as a shadow blotted out the moon. In a flash of red, Dayle went down. Neil finally saw a Daina. And he didn't like it. She had glittering purple eyes, with strange colorations dotting the irises. She seemed to have scales instead of skin, except in a few places where skin was bared. On her hands and feet, were sharp glittering black claws, dripping with blood. Her eyes held a morbid fascination with the dead man next to Neil, but namely the pooling blood. She knelt down and cupped her hands. She dipped her hands into the blood. Another swordsman, Neil thought his name was Michael, rushed her. She merely dipped her head, and he was blown backwards. He cried out in pain as his arms slowly began to turn. Then with a snap, he fell over. His arms lay behind him, torn from their sockets. She delicately licked at the blood. She stood up, smearing the rest of the blood on her body.  
  
"It's payback time, Neil," she grinned, her tongue licking the blood on her teeth.  
  
As his men-at-arms charged, the Daina stood up. And the night was filled with flames and blood.  
  
The White Tiger slowly crept south, along the Parepare Jungle. It would have been much easier to go through North Torble. The three provinces up there New Kawrea, Sestrom, and Galoe, were not to be crossed. The Daina could easily be there, and the White Tiger was not about to risk that. His ribs still ached and he limped every time he walked. After the Daina had abandoned him, it was a slow fuzzy awakening. He reckoned it was the fourth day that Galoe had been eliminated. Of course there was no reason to calculate that. It was of little importance. He knew he had failed. The last of his Order and he had failed. He hated the Daina the traitor, and her foul stench was strewn all over. Even in Parepare. She had been everywhere in the past three days, it seemed.  
  
The humidity was oppressing. His fur hung in sodden strands. It was no longer cool and crisp like up in Galoe, but sweltering hot, and moist to boot. The White Tiger deftly flicked up a small frog. He lunged forward and his sharp teeth crushed the frog's spine. A few minutes later, the White Tiger licked his chops and continued on. It wasn't hard going, he was trained for all conditions, but it wasn't easy, either. He stopped at a small stream and drank his fill. Looking up, he saw a native to the Parepare jungle: a Zuum. The Tiger merely stood up and shook his head, spraying droplets. The Zuum let out a gurgling cry, and thundered forward, his head lowered.  
  
The Tiger dodged, only to see a whole herd of Zuums heading toward him. Using his momentum to pivot, he blasted an Ice Bomb at the charging Zuum's back. It fell in a crumpled heap. The tiger pushed up in a sideways somersault. He almost flew over two Zuums. He came down on a third, severing its spinal cord with a twist of his jaws. Before the Zuum fell, a Blizzard put down the next two. Three charged him all at once. Two on each side used Tail Lash, while the middle one used a Hopping Claw. The Tiger dashed under the jumping Zuum. He once again slid to a stop and electricity flew out of his horns. It spread across the forest floor. It then caught all three Zuums and held them in their poses for a minute, then dropped them.  
  
The White Tiger turned; the last of the Zuums stared at him. It was only a Spot Saurian, maybe not even six months old. It bared its teeth at him and growled. The Tiger stared at it. He then walked over and headbutted it. It fell over, unconscious. It would be the only Zuum coming back to its small village that day. The Tiger shook his head, but stopped due to the pain. He would have his vengeance on the Daina.  
  
Lily was bumped awake. It was the second day in Mr. Ferling's cart. Sharon was quietly sleeping over in a corner. It was only a matter of time before the sun rose. The Baku was still just walking, its footsteps falling heavily upon the trail. They were coming south, into Galoe. Normally, Mr. Ferling would stop and trade in the province's capital. But this time, they would just pass it by. Lily closed her eyes, but finally she opened them. It was the false gray dawn, giving her enough light. She had to see.  
  
All the fields around Galoe were charred, black, ruined. She could see burnt-out shells of houses and stables. They passed a human skeleton, or maybe it was a Pixie. Lily didn't want to think about that. Trees that would have normally left a dazzling scarlet, gold, and brown carpet were now split, their burning remains standing out on the bleak landscape. And then, topping a rise, she saw the little town itself. Tears trickled down her cheeks. The village was indescribable. All the buildings were twisted, as if the very ground had pulled buildings into one vortex. And in the very middle of it, the Galoe tree, its leaves green, and its bark shining in a lustrous white. Lily gasped.  
  
"I've never seen anything like it," Mr. Ferling said. "That tree was charred black, some traders told me a while back. It was dead."  
  
Lily could remember pulling herself to that tree. It seemed like an eternity ago, and her wings almost seemed to throb at the memory. Looking ahead, she burst into tears. There, in front of the cart, was a pile of twisted metal. It was the Henger's remains. She saw the green, rotating orb that substituted as an eye. It was broken, with all the fluid long since gone. And then the eye rotated to look at her. And it winked.  
  
Lily screamed.  
  
The White Tiger had long since left the Jungle. It was too brutal, being hounded by half of the Zuum Tribe. He chanced the Meadows of Sestrom as opposed to fifty odd Zuums. He stared at a volcano erupting out of a farmer's fields, belching out smoke, ash, and bits of rock. Nothing too violent. The Tiger had seen worse in Kawrea. He saw the house abandoned already, its door slightly ajar. Better a meal served already than hunted down, the Tiger thought and went inside. His keen nose found his way to the pantry and he nosed it open. Most of the non-perishable goods where taken, but that still left plenty of other foods. So he gorged.  
  
After a finishing his feast with some peas, he stood up. Shaking all over, he sprayed random food particles from his mouth. It would be a long time before he could eat like this again. Stretching, he turned around, feeling rather content.  
  
And he came face to face with a Mew.  
  
Of course, Mews were only good for their Speed and Skill, something the Tiger needn't worry about. His mouth split into a doggy grin, his sharp teeth glared. Mews were an easy challenge. He charged the Mew, but it dodged. Something wasn't right about that. The White Tiger spun around, blasting an Ice Bomb. The Mew dodged again. It ran forward, thrusting its paw at the Tiger's eye.  
  
The White Tiger fell back, roaring in pain. Swinging his paw, he felt his paws catch cloth. He looked, feeling that grin come back. But he had only caught a shirt. He looked up, to see the Mew land squarely on his head. The Tiger growled at his own stupidity. A Mew hitting with Diving Press. He should be able to win. He turned, seeing the Mew leaping on counters, cabinets, landing on a table, and catapulting over him. It was going to take quite a bit of skill. The Tiger laughed. He turned and used a Roll Assault. He crashed into the Mew. It gritted its teeth and yowled. The very earth seemed to shake, and wood beams crashed. The Tiger turned, running. He was swaying back and forth with the power of the meowing. He plowed out the doorway, landing on his stomach. He did a 180-degree turn and landed on his feet. He stared at the falling house. It was worse than anything he could do. Of course, the Mew had sealed its own doom. The Tiger turned walking away.  
  
The sound of splintering wood and then a large crash made the Tiger grin. Never think a stuffed cat could outdo him. He laughed silently.  
  
"What is it?" Sharon asked, alarmed.  
  
"I… The Henger… It winked at me," Lily said.  
  
"I don't see a Henger," Sharon said, rubbing her eyes.  
  
Lily pointed at the heap passing by.  
  
"That's a Henger?!" Sharon exclaimed.  
  
"I knew him…" Lily muttered.  
  
"You knew that," Sharon said.  
  
"He was one of my only friends," Lily said. "At least my only monster friend."  
  
"But that's a Henger?" Sharon said, disbelieving.  
  
Lily rounded on her, "Yes it is. If you don't stop insulting him, I'll maul you within an inch of your life! I know Smash and I don't think you want to feel it again. The Henger was one of my closest friends, killed by the Daina. I am not in the mood for somebody insulting people from my home village." Lily took a deep breath.  
  
"I'm… I'm sorry," Sharon said.  
  
The cart occasionally passed burnt out shells of house, their charred interiors grinning out to the world. Each charred timber was like a stab to Lily's heart. Try as she might, she couldn't keep the tears from silently trickling down her face. In only three days, her world had changed, probably forever.  
  
She was the only survivor.  
  
She was the only one left.  
  
She would have revenge on the Daina.  
  
She would avenge her friends.  
  
She would avenge her hometown.  
  
She would avenge herself.  
  
Shaking herself briskly, Sapphire of the Sea stood up. Of course, that wasn't her real name, just some flashy selling name. She had forgotten her real name. Standing up, she smiled bitterly. Slavery tended to do that to you. Especially when enslaved young. She hadn't wanted it, oh no. It just happened to her. In only a few days, she had gone from the free life in Torble Sea, to Sestrom. She had been moved around like a circus act. Then, Matthew Neil bought her. Her life had apparently become insignificant. But now… now she had freedom.  
  
Apparently, Matthew Neil had gotten what he deserved. Stretching, Sapphire let some droplets fly. It was a way to cool down, and things had gotten hot in the last hour. Especially with all the fireballs. Some Daina must have been behind it, as the security person reported, but Sapphire didn't really care. Now that she was free, she could do whatever she wanted. Sapphire was finally going to the sea. She could at last feel the cool seawater running against her and smelling the salt tang. It would be bliss. Never again, would she see the leering eyes, the open mouths, and hear all the yelling and shouting. It was back to quiet solitude. Then she would live life like any other Undine.  
  
A large crash jerked her out of her thoughts.  
  
She heard loud, rasping Zuum calls. And bursting out of the undergrowth, was a large white Tiger. Right behind it, Zuums poured out. Sapphire stared. The Tiger looked rather preoccupied trying to take on twenty-odd Zuums. Seeing the Tiger in trouble seemed to be rather mismatched to the Undine, so she pulled out her bow. Water trickled down the length of the bow, running off in shining rivulets. An arrow, made off ice, formed out of her hand. She drew back on the bow, and fired. A Zuum went down, convulsing and crying, due to its spinal cord being severed. A few turned to face Sapphire. She smiled, waved, and then launched a Cold Geyser. It shot up, propelling some Zuums up into the air. With cries of fury, many turned to face her. Which was a mistake. The Tiger blasted a fury of Lightning from his horns, and then he rammed forward in a deadly combination. Sapphire let an Aqua Wave fly, and watched as the Zuums blew backwards. And slowly, the duo pushed the Zuums back into the forest.  
  
It was strange that there were Zuums here. They frequented South Torble, and also resided in Parepare, but were rarely seen anywhere else, with the exception of being on a ranch. Sapphire decided she would have to ask the Tiger about it.  
  
As the Zuums retreated, the Tiger yelled, "Daina!" He wheeled around and blasted and Ice Bomb. A shadow, dripping with blood, dodged. It came around, out into the light of the moon. The Tiger wasn't put down so easily though. He quickly performed a One-Two, and then fired off a blizzard. It hit the Daina. Even from where she was, Sapphire could see the Daina grinning. The Daina dove forward, kicking the Tiger. He slammed into a tree, which splintered instantly. Then the Daina turned.  
  
"Hello, sister," she said. "Does it feel good to be free?"  
  
Sapphire could only stare. She opened her mouth, and only a croak came out. Then, the Daina's smile turned to a snarl.  
  
"You shouldn't have sided with that Tiger scum. Now, I'll have to kill you." Then the Daina charged forward, her claws glinting in the moonlight. 


	4. Varsianna Town

1 Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher  
  
Note: This Fanfiction is based on the game, Monster Rancher 2, not the Anime, Monster Rancher.  
  
"I don't believe you," Sharon said.  
  
Lily growled and jumped out of the cart.  
  
Sharon immediately followed. "You do know that cart was our only ride out of Papas, or Torble, or whatever this place is. And why didn't you just climb out when you first saw the Henger? Why are you always so picky about these things?"  
  
Lily just nodded. After a pause she spoke, "Please tell Mr. Ferling that we are grateful, but will no longer be riding with him.  
  
Sharon nodded slowly, her brown ears dipping forward, over her face. She then scampered off, towards the retreating cart.  
  
Lily slowly stood up, and flew. Her leathery wings beat the sky rhythmically. It felt good to fly again. She soared up, and spiraled down, and came into a smooth glide across the meadow, the meadow that used to be the village of Galoe. Lily held back tears, until she found what she was looking for. The Henger's remains gleamed dully in the light, most of the shine washed away by the recent wintry weather. Lily fell back and landed softly. The Henger's broken orb stared up at her. It seemed to swallow her into its green depths, deeper and deeper. She was in a whirlpool of green, slowly descending into that eye. How beautiful the eye was. It was the most magnificent thing ever. It had never looked like this before, not when he was alive, only when the Daina killed him. If the Daina could make such beauty…  
  
"LILY!" Sharon yelled. She used a Hard Straight, and sent Lily sprawling. "Oops," she said, wincing a Lily flew into a tree.  
  
Lily turned around. Her wing had broken open again, and was bleeding profusely. She slowly stumbled over to Sharon. She then stopped, and knelt down towards the eye. She was going to do it again. She was going to drink the liquid in the visual orb. It was instant death at best, tortured suffering at worst. Sharon jumped forward, and slapped Lily. Hare's fists weren't made for slapping, and Sharon more clubbed Lily than slapped.  
  
But it seemed to revive Lily. She looked around, dazed and confused. "Daina," she hissed.  
  
Sharon shuddered. She didn't even want to think about what the Daina could have done to the Henger's corpse, or whatever it would be called. If she could affect one monster that much, to kill itself… Sharon didn't want to think about it.  
  
Raindrops spattered Sharon's head. She looked up, startled. She saw a shadow pass over briefly. It had a large wingspan, nothing near as large as a Dragon's or Phoenix's, but large nonetheless. Sharon looked over at Lily, and knew by the look of rage in the Lepus' face that that was the Daina.  
  
Lily ran, and tried to fly. Her damaged wing flapped awkwardly, and gave her liftoff, only to send her crashing down into brambles. Lily sat in the briar patch, sobbing. "I'll get you," she said, her voice choked with emotion. Wiping away her tears, she stood up. She motioned to Sharon, and took off running. She sprinted as fast as she could, ignoring the jarring pain in her wing. She did not know if Sharon was behind her, but didn't look back.  
  
She knew the area by heart, and took every shortcut she knew. She passed the still living Galoe Tree, and went beneath Jandswall's Bridge. She cut across Mafflen Creek, and ducked under the low hanging trees there. It was not just a simple jaunt, and soon, Lily's chest heaved from the sheer torture she was trying to endure. She still pushed herself on, through Galoe Meadow, and flew south like a thunderbolt from the mountains. If her guess wasn't mistaken, the Daina was heading for Varsianna Town.  
  
Lily just had to beat the Daina to it…  
  
"Miaow."  
  
The White Tiger rolled over.  
  
"Miaow."  
  
A faint tap hit the Tiger in the shoulder.  
  
The Tiger leapt up, his hackles raised. Electricity sparked in between his horns, and cold, steamed breath came out of his mouth. Then, he studied the monster in front of him. It was Mew. A very familiar Mew, in fact. No, it couldn't be… not the Mew from the house.  
  
The Tiger stared. He had left that thing for dead, back at the house he ransacked.  
  
"Miaow…" the Mew looked at him inquisitively.  
  
The Tiger glared back.  
  
Then, the Mew leapt onto the Tiger's back. The Tiger snarled, but it faded. The throbbing pain in his side slowly receded. The Mew must have done something to heal it. But Mews, not to mention their cousins, the Nyas, had no healing abilities. This Mew was turning out to be interesting indeed. It did a nimble backflip, and landed on the ground. It began to chorus out in happy meows that the Tiger took to be some sort of song. It wasn't a good song, either.  
  
Finally, it spoke. The voice that came out was not at all what the Tiger expected. It was a deep, bass rumble, much deeper then the high-pitched mewing. Furthermore, it had a smooth fluidity to it that made it almost musical, in a strange sort of way. It was downright strange. "May I join you?"  
  
The Tiger just nodded, somewhat surprised by the voice. He never spoke that much anyway. He got up, turned and began to walk. If the Mew followed him, fine. If not, just as well. He heard dainty footfalls behind him. The Tiger continued to walk.  
  
"You're not from around here, are ya?" the Mew asked.  
  
The Tiger grunted.  
  
"It was pretty brave takin' me on. Do ya know, I've beaten two of the Four Major Tourneys, and I've beaten Bloody Eye and Kamui. So, I'm a tough one. You're lucky to have survived. Are ya even listenin' to me?" the Mew looked over at the Tiger.  
  
The Tiger laughed. He had beaten all the Major Four and the legendary Pabs, but he wasn't about to tell the stuffed kitten that. He already had a hard enough time believing the Four Major Thing, let alone the Mew beating Bloody Eye, and one of the White Tiger's own close cousins.  
  
The Mew merely arched an eyebrow at the Tiger's fit of laughter. "You don't believe me, do ya? Guess I'll have to show ya…"  
  
The Mew jumped and waved his claw. A fireball shot of the exposed paw. A tree ignited and fell to the ground. It would have started to spread, except a handy Blizzard put it out.  
  
It was amazing, the Fireball attack, but not miraculous. There were often glitches in a disc stone. The glitches were usually minor imperfections, a chip or crack. The older breeders, back in the days of the Papas and Torble Empires, and even the legendary Tochika, would fill these imperfections in with pieces of disc chips without regard to what kind of chips. They couldn't tell the difference, and didn't think it mattered. That was how Zuums were created from Dinos. Quite an interesting story, but not worth the time. The Tiger's thoughts were wandering. The glitches resulted in very rare new monsters and more often in oddly obtained moves.  
  
"Hey, where ya goin'? I suggest Varsianna Town, a great little resort town, all kinds of food, and lovely ladies. Eh?" the Mew questioned.  
  
The Tiger had stopped. He had found the Daina's putrid scent. And she was heading straight for Varsianna Town. He would not be beaten there in battle, not after all these humiliations. He would not be beaten in his hometown.  
  
Duke Almarski woke up, very slowly. His head hurt, probably from too much wine. But what else was there to do? His entire province, North Torble was decimated. The once lush trade routes from Torble, and New Kawrea to Mandy made him wealthy, beyond anyone else. Then, overnight, entire villages were annihilated and crude monuments were erected, by this Daina. People were beginning to question his competence as a leader. The Duke had tried everything. Entire Dragon Legions had vanished and the Centaur Cavalry, along with Baku Heavy Cavalry was gone. Most of his mercenary forces had been killed or broke their contracts. His massive fleets, trade boats and galleons, had apparently been destroyed. As had his Elite Zilla force. He had the strongest armies in the land, the most money, the best trade routes, economy, and second greatest population… and now nothing.  
  
That cursed Daina caused this. All of western IMA was in chaos. Torblean Fields and most of Mandy were relatively untouched. Galoe was entirely decimated, which meant the rich apple harvests, and many northern spices would not be for sale, except at very high prices. That in itself was another problem. His populace was starving, and the food cost too much. The Duke could see his province dwindling, its light extinguishing before his very eyes. As the sun rose, he squinted. His head still felt like a blacksmith's anvil, and the hammer wasn't through yet.  
  
The Duke mustered as much energy and dignity as he could and slowly, walked downstairs. It had been four days since the attack on Galoe, and things had seemed to calm down. The chief city of North Torble, Meafelo Torble, was still in good shape. Roughly translated from direct Kawrean, it meant Meafelo "Turbulent" and Torble "Sea". The place was known for its turbulent storms, and the steep cliffs left in their wake. The Duke's house was built on the side of the cliff, out of durable northern granite mined up in Papas by some poor Golems. He could sell his house, but it would be far too disgraceful. The Duke continued downstairs and focused his steps, one foot directly in front of the other. Breakfast he hardly tasted or felt. But his stomach did. He spent the rest of the morning at his toilet.  
  
Even with all Lily tried, she was stuck camping the night away. Sharon had slogged in later that night, totally dirty and ragged. Lily had just stared at the campfire. If she could beat the Daina to Varsianna Town… fat chance of that now. Lily laughed bitterly. Another Galoe flashed before her eyes. Men, monsters, women, and children, all dead by that unworthy Daina's hand. And she wouldn't be able to arrive and save them, just as before.  
  
Lily had tended to her wing, and it was doing quite well. She would probably be able to fly by tomorrow. At least the cuts just bled and weren't that deep.  
  
Sharon patted Lily on her back, "C'mon, maybe the Daina flew over Varsianna, and the people were spared."  
  
Lily whipped around. "What, so she can destroy some other town? Does it really make a difference which village she destroys? If that mattered, I'd say to heck with Varsianna, but that town deserves to survive as much as any other. Should I play God, and choose which village to defend? If I did that, how would I choose which village to defend? I'm not perfect, Sharon, how could I make such a choice, tell me!"  
  
Sharon fell back, sitting down hard. "I don't know."  
  
Lily snorted and flopped over. Her eyes closed, and were sealed with unshed tears.  
  
Matthew Neil cringed. How had he survived? He looked around. He felt cold, and yet fire was everywhere. Caused by the Daina. That accursed, dirty, worthless, bloodthirsty Daina. Sure, she was powerful, and good- looking to boot, but she wasn't worth the effort of capturing, not at all. But there was a small voice that chorused, why? Neil ignored it. She wasn't worth it, and yet, Neil had to have her. He stood up. His suit was stained with blood. He would need a new one.  
  
Looking around, Neil saw that he was not the only survivor. A few mercenaries were huddled around fires, the newly risen sun shining one their dirty, dented armor. For the ones that had armor. Over in a brightly painted cart, his Pixies all sat on cushions, conversing amongst one another. None of them had been touched, for reasons Neil didn't know. His Pixies would relieve some of his stress, he knew.  
  
Neil wearily walked over. He opened the door and came in. The wide, innocent eyes of the Pixies looked up at him. Of course, only a few of those were true innocence. Innocence only in his newest acquirements. The rest knew all the little tricks. Tricks he taught them. Already he was feeling better. He knew now that there was a reason for capturing the Daina. He needed one Pixie to complete his collection. Not wanted, needed. Neil let his gaze wander on the Pixies, lingering on a few. Which one would he choose for tonight though…?  
  
The White Tiger grumbled to himself. All the Mew he was with would do was either brag or talk about the strangest subjects. Such as the current stock market value of Zilla oil. No interest value whatsoever. The Tiger shook his head.  
  
"Hey, buddy, what's yer name?" the Mew chorused out in that rumbling bass voice.  
  
The Tiger just ignored him. There was no need to answer. Names where unimportant. All that mattered was stopping the Daina. She was a traitor and deserved to be killed, executed for her crimes against the Order. No exceptions. The Tiger would deal with it. He had never failed a mission, and he wasn't about to start. Although the Daina had accumulated power, the Tiger knew he just needed a bit of luck. Unfortunately, he didn't have that kind of luck. The Tiger topped a ridge. Down below, was Varsianna Town, his hometown. And there, he saw a Lepus and a Hare purebred entering the town.  
  
Something about that Lepus reminded the Tiger. Then it came back to him: Galoe. He remembered seeing the townspeople trying to fight of the Daina's fierce attack, but seeming to slowly be repulsed. He remembered seeing her, the Lepus. Her power was insignificant, maybe Rank D worthy, but now, her power positively crackled. She may have been B worthy or even A. Which should have been impossible. The Tiger knew it was the same Lepus; she had scar tissue on most of the left side of her body, from the Daina. Most of the Tissue was gone, healed probably by a Plant. Instead of detracting from her beauty, it added a stern ruggedness. It gave her a greater sense of authority and maturity.  
  
If the Lepus had made it this far, then she couldn't be too stupid. The Tiger ignored the startled Mew's yelling and trotted over.  
  
Sharon only had time to look when she saw the Tiger come in beside them. She was about to scream, when Lily said, "It's okay, Sharon." How Lily even knew the Tiger was there, Sharon wasn't quite sure. The Tiger grinned, which was more a baring of teeth that only added to his feeling of lethalness. Sharon shivered and continued walking.  
  
"You're after the Daina as well, I presume," Lily said.  
  
"Yes indeed. You are a smart one," the Tiger continued walking at his lazy pace.  
  
"Hey, cutie-pie," a deep voice boomed.  
  
Sharon sighed. Only a Dragon, Golem, Zilla, or a Wracky could have that voice. Sharon wasn't about to tangle with one, so she put on her angriest face. Wheeling around, she yelled, "Go away you… you…" her voice faltered as she came face to face with a Mew.  
  
"What's up, gorgeous," the Mew said, in that strange, deep voice.  
  
Sharon spoke in a voice a little louder than a whisper, "What is wrong with you?"  
  
The Mew faltered, "I… I… I act like this when around beauties like you. Small problem of mine, you might say."  
  
"No, your voice it's so… deep," Sharon said.  
  
"Oh," the Mew began to laugh, which was even worse. "I don't know how I got that, but it certainly is different."  
  
Sharon nodded weakly. She turned around and sped up her walking a little.  
  
Lily sped up a little to catch her.  
  
The Tiger sped up to stay beside Lily.  
  
The Mew ran to get beside Sharon. "C'mon good-lookin', what's wrong?"  
  
Sharon burst into a sprint. "Get away from me!" By now, the Mew had her entirely freaked out.  
  
She raced into Varsianna, which thankfully wasn't destroyed.  
  
Varsianna was a resort town. It had many inns, all decorated with red, blue, or green roof tiles that shined in the sun. Almost all had gardens out in the front, each trying to outdo the next in color, diversity, or lushness. Restaurants let off smells of spice meat from Mandy and South Parepare, while it also blended the cool smells of dishes from Papas and Torble. There was the exotic scent of dishes from Northern Torble. Sharon stopped and took everything in. The roads were white cobblestones that went through the whole town. Houses were a shining white or a pleasant log cabin. Fountains were at almost every junction, and statues at larger plazas. Brightly colored tents in a market place attracted Sharon's eyes. Men and women cried out the bargains that they had on rare and exotic goods, while others loudly tried to sell their goods for lower prices. The town had a loud, but cozy feeling, only made by a town that had survived for a long time, and hadn't had any major problems for an almost as long time. Sharon jumped at the Mew's voice.  
  
"Pleasant, isn't it? I had my first tournament here. It was a four-way battle, quite interesting, really. It was down to Oakleyman and me. I dodged a Straight and landed a Fireball. That put him out of commission. So I won. Pretty good, huh, darlin'," The Mew looked over.  
  
"Fireball?" Sharon said, questioningly. This Mew was getting freakier and freakier. Sharon just wanted him to go away, but that wasn't going to happen apparently.  
  
"My own specialty technique," the Mew said. "How 'bout I demonstrate, just for you."  
  
"Uh… no thanks," Sharon said. Why wouldn't he leave her be?  
  
Why!?  
  
"I feel sorry for your bunny friend," the Tiger said.  
  
"I do too," Lily said.  
  
The duo entered Varsianna. The town appeared unscathed, but the Tiger was sure she would be here. She wouldn't have had it any other way. If the Daina didn't want to fight, she would have taken a different route, a less turbulent one. The Tiger knew she was hiding, but why, he didn't know. His thoughts were disturbed with a whipcrack.  
  
"Outta my way!" a man yelled. He was whipping two poor helpless Bakus that were pulling a rickety looking cart. In the cart were dozens of monsters in cages, together or separated. On top of the cart were cages as well. Even strapped to the back were cages.  
  
The Tiger's eyes fell upon a small, ragged looking Hopper. It stared off at a pole. It seemed to be calculating something. Then, in a matter of moments, the Hopper smashed its tiny fist into the cart. Wood seemed to shatter, and the Hopper went flying. About two dozen other cages flew too. They all broke open. The Hopper's cage shot off, hit the pole, broke and sent the Hopper flying.  
  
In an instant, Lily was off, her wings powering up into the sky. She shot down, and caught the falling Hopper.  
  
A scream made the Tiger turn around. There, in the midst of the chaos, was the Daina. She was holding the cartdriver by the midriff and was slowly slitting his neck with her viciously long claws. Her tongue was out, catching the rivulets of blood on her tongue, and she would occasionally swallow. It was sick. The Tiger let out a low growl and charged.  
  
Sharon turned around. There were seemingly hundreds of monsters everywhere all yowling and screeching. Then Sharon spotted Lily. She was holding a small Hopper, and it seemed to be squalling at its loudest. Sharon began to hurdle monsters, trying to get to Lily. That's when she came face to face with the Daina. Blood ran down the Daina's chin, soaking her chest. Sharon felt bile rise in her throat, and gagged it down.  
  
"Well, a little Hare, what a surprise," the Daina grinned with blood-soaked teeth.  
  
Sharon jumped back; "Here's something I learned in FIMBA, Guru Guru!" Sharon jumped forward, her fist spinning madly. The fist came up and connected with the Daina's jaw. The Daina's eyes rolled up and she fell backward. The Daina recovered quickly and flew backward. Lightning crackled around her as she hissed, "You'll pay for that bunny-rabbit!"  
  
Sharon began to jump back and forth, dodging more lightning bolts than she could count. While doing this, Lily soared in to attack the Daina.  
  
"Here Sharon, catch!" Lily lobbed the poor baby Hopper at Sharon.  
  
"HOPPEEE!" the poor thing squealed as it flew through the air.  
  
Sharon leapt up, flipping over a lightning bolt. She barely caught the Hopper and landed on one foot. She kicked out with the other one, and sent the Daina flying. Meanwhile, Lily was floating up into the air, gathering fire in her hands. Then, Sharon saw the ultimate enemy of fire, an Undine.  
  
Undines were perhaps one of the strongest monsters, with the ferocity of their attacks and the accuracy with which they hit. Their ice and water techniques were superb and their speed was rivaled only by a few. Unfortunately, the Undine appeared to be with the Daina. Sharon put down the Hopper and charged the Undine.  
  
The Undine grinned a savage grin. "For freedom!" she yelled.  
  
Sharon collapsed as a furious barrage of ice pummeled her.  
  
Sapphire of the Sea was almost grateful. The Daina was keeping her alive for reasons Sapphire didn't know. And she didn't care. What mattered was that Sapphire was almost free. All she had to do was serve the Daina until she ruled both continents, and then freedom was hers. She had to, in that time, use her skills for violence but freedom was worth it.  
  
The little Hare had tried to attack her, but Sapphire had put her down with on volley of ice. Pathetic. Sapphire turned. A Tiger was running full speed. He had a glossy white mane that flowed out over the rest of his snow-white fur. His eyes however, were a determined yellow, with red irises. Lightning gathered in between his horns, sparking and flaring. The Undine tensed. No Undine liked lightning. Sapphire had an even better reason. It brought back memories of men shocking her, pushing her towards a cage, the end of her freedom. They had used electricity, knowing it hurt Undines the most. Sapphire growled and charged.  
  
The Tiger didn't know what he was dealing with.  
  
The Daina laughed as the Lepus charged. Fire flew forth, in what attack, the Daina did not care. The Daina did a lazy flip, and came over the fire. This Lepus was getting annoying, very annoying. Two bright spheres formed in the Daina's hand. The Lepus was about to die.  
  
"Omega Ray!" the Daina yelled.  
  
The Two orbs turned a dark purple and shot at the Lepus. The poor unfortunate Lepus' face turned to a horrified scream, just before the beams hit. Then, there was an explosion of fire. The Daina turned around, to see a small Mew, flinging fireballs. The Lepus hit the ground, but the Daina hardly noticed. She was already charging the Mew. Her claws shot out… and missed!  
  
"Ha ha! Too slow!" the Mew chorused in a low-pitched voice. It would have been comical, except the Mew came in from behind and cut one of the Daina's wings. The Daina growled and whirled around, trying to flame the Mew. But it was long gone. The little Mew had already circled again. He let his claws loose on her exposed back and tail. The Daina let out a long screech. Fire flew out in a ring. The Mew's startled cry made her grin. It just didn't pay to be flammable.  
  
"HOPPPEEE!" a loud cry pierced the air.  
  
A small Hopper leapt forward and began dishing out furious punching on the Daina. Its little fists hammered her, bruising her all over. The Daina looked up, and a fist struck her between the eyes. "You little… little… li… tle…" The Daina fell over, knocked out.  
  
Sapphire dodged a Lightning, launched by that Tiger. She saw her mistress fall down. The Undine sank into the ground, her semi-liquid state permeating through the gaps in the cobbles. She rose up behind the Hopper, shot it with an Arrow, and grabbed the Daina. She altered the Daina slightly, and so the Daina slipped into the ground with her.  
  
The Tiger growled. So close, so close. He howled up into the sky. By now, Varsianna was empty, save for the Lepus, Hare, Hopper, and Mew, who were all knocked out. The Tiger's howl ended abruptly. What if the Daina was unstoppable? He had sworn to destroy her, for the honor of the Order, but if he tried, he could die. He had put it at such low chances before, but now it seemed likely.  
  
Maybe the Daina was unstoppable.  
  
The Tiger grinned his disconcerting grin. Or maybe not. 


End file.
